I don’t know if this story is true, but nevertheless the way I heard it gave me pause. It’s about an Englishman named Richard Love who over half a century ago was sentenced to death. As the prison chaplain walked with him to the gallows, he pleaded with him to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, adding that to deny Christ was to accept eternal torment.
What was Love’s response?
“Go to hell.”
This doomed man wanted to know why, if this Good News message was so gravely important, did the chaplain wait until the very last second to deliver it, telling him, “If I thought this message was the truth (as you do), than I would have crawled on my hands and knees through broken glass in order to deliver it to every person in England.”
Love’s rejection of Christ Jesus was stupid, but his rebuke of the holy man was spot on, and a lesson for every believer. If the Gospel message is as critically important as we believe it to be, what on earth are we saving it for?
World famous magician and atheist, Penn Jillette shares an interesting story with similar application in this video. Jillette, like Love, makes the wrong choice, but his admonition is weighty.
Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/6md638smQd8